Modular joint

ABSTRACT

An article of furniture in which at least one support post is provided, the post being formed with two or more longitudinally extending slides. One end of a transition piece is slidably engaged with each slide and can be secured against sliding movement by a locking screw. The other end of the transition piece is secured to a horizontal support member by a further locking screw. In a preferred arrangement, four equiangularly spaced slides are provided which enables a furniture system to be built up based on a rectangular modulus.

United States Patent 1 Ciancimino [451 July 24, 1973 MODULAR JOINT [75 I Inventor: George Ernest Stora Ciancimino,

London. England [731 Assignees CianciminoDesign Limited, London,

England 22 Filed: Apr. 16, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 134,657

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 21, 1970 Great Britain 19,121/70 [52] U.S. Cl 248/188J, 211/182, 287/54 A, 312/263 [51] Int. Cl. F161) 3/00 [58] Field of Search 248/1881, 224, 225,

248/245; 211/182, 176; 287/54.1, 56, 54 A, 54 B, 54 C; 312/111, 263

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS R26,105 11/1966 Guillon et a1 312/263 3,302,799 2/1967 Blodee 312/111 3,525,560 8/1970 Gasner et a1 312/263 2,900,495 8/1959 Zwick 287/54 C 2,962,170 11/1960 Best 211/182 3,015,468 1/1962 Mooney 248/245 3,502,222 3/1970 Crafoord 248/224 3,537,736 11/1970 Kroopp 287/54 C 3,592,493 7/1971 Goose 287/54 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 81,656 9/1963 France 211/182 1,480,511 4/1967 France 287/54 C 1,248,378 8/1967 Germany 287/54 C 46,021 6/1939 Netherlands 287/54 A Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr. Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [5 7] ABSTRACT An article of furniture in which at least one support post is provided, the post being formed with two or more longitudinally extending slides. One end of a transition piece is slidably engaged with each slide and can be secured against sliding movement by a locking screw. The other end of the transition piece is secured to a horizontal support member by a further locking screw. In a preferred arrangement, four equiangularly spaced slides are provided which enables a furniture system to be built up based on a rectangular modulus.

5 Clalms, 4 Drawing Figures MODULAR JOINT The invention relates to joint assemblies particularly for use in modular furnishing systems.

The invention provides an article of furniture, at least one support post defining at least two longitudinally extending retaining slides, at least one transition piece for each slide, each transition piece having one end formed for sliding cooperation with the slide and the other end formed for cooperation with a longitudinal element extending in a plane perpendicular to the support post, means for securing the longitudinal element to the transition member .and means for securing the transition piece against movement along the slide.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view on a modular table assembly incorporating joints according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation on the line II II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional plan view on the line III 'III of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the assembly shown comprises three modular table units 1, 2 and 3 formed by horizontal longitudinal elements 4 mounted at their ends on posts 5. At eachpost 5, the longitudinal elements 4 are connected thereto by joints of the kind shown in greater detail. in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, each post 6 has four I longitudinally extending lobe section ribs 7 each of which define a pair of re-entrant grooves 8. The post 6 is preferably formed as an aluminium extrusion.

A transition piece9 is provided which has two portions 10 and llLThe portion 10 is formed with an open sided cylindrical recess 18 so as to slidably cooperate with one of the ribs 7 for movement longitudinally of the post 6. A locking screw (or screws) 12 extends through a threaded aperture in the transition piece 9 for locking the transition piece in a desired position relative to the post by engagement with the rib 7.

The portion llof the transition piece 9 is formed as a spigot which enters the tubular end of the longitudinal element 4, the dimensions of the element 4 being such as to provide an outer surface flush with the portion 10 of the transition piece when engaged thereon. A furtherlocking screw (or screws) 13 extends through a hole 14 in the element 4 and engages in a screw threaded hole 15 in the spigot Use as to secure the element 4 thereto.

The elements 4 may be provided with brackets 16 (as shown in FIG. 1) to support a surfacing member such as a glass plate 17 flush with the upper surfaces of the elements 4. Alternatively, hemispherical rubber bushes 19 can be provided on the upper ends of the legs 5 so as to support surfacing members above the elements 4 as illustrated in detail in FIG. 2.

The arrangement described above may be varied in a number of ways. Thus the legs 6 may be formed as tubes to permit wiring to be fed through them for lighting or other electrical equipment on the modular unit as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4. The elements 4 may be curved in a horizontal plane to vary the profile of the assembly in plan. Also, the arrangement is not restricted to a rectilinear modulus. By providing the posts 6 with three or five equiangularly spaced lobes 7, a modular assembly based on triangular or pentagonal shapes may be evolved.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture comprising at least four identical support posts of uniform symmetrical lobelike cross section, each post having longitudinal ribs of re-entrant lobe form facing different directions, a plurality of longitudinal elements, each longitudinal element extending horizontally between a pair of support posts to form a closed figure in plan, identical transition members fitting within the ends of each longitudinal element and connecting said ends to opposed ribs of the respective support posts, the transition members each having an opening corresponding to the shape of a rib of said posts for receiving a rib therein, said opening being in sliding cooperation therewith, means to secure the transition members to the posts, said securing means including a first set screw. threaded longitudinally' through each transition member and engageable with a rib to clamp said transition member against a corresponding rib, and separate means to secure the longitudinal element to the'transition member, said separate means including a second set screw passing through said longitudinal element and threadingly engaging said transition element.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the support posts is hollow.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said posts comprises four equiangularly spaced ribs.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support post, transition piece and longitudinal element are of aluminium.

5. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 further including hemipherical shaped resilient elements mounted on the top of each of said support posts for supporting a surfacing member. 

1. An article of furniture comprising at least four identical support posts of uniform symmetrical lobe-like cross section, each post having longitudinal ribs of re-entrant lobe form facing different directions, a plurality of longitudinal elements, each longitudinal element extending horizontally between a pair of support posts to form a closed figure in plan, identical transition members fitting within the ends of each longitudinal element and connecting said ends to opposed ribs of the respective support posts, the transition members each having an opening corresponding to the shape of a rib of said posts for receiving a rib therein, said opening being in sliding cooperation therewith, means to secure the transition members to the posts, said securing means including a first set screw threaded longitudinally through each transition member and engageable with a rib to clamp said transition member against a corresponding rib, and separate means to secure the longitudinal element to the transition member, said separate means including a second set screw passing through said longitudinal element and threadingly engaging said transition element.
 2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the support posts is hollow.
 3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said posts comprises four equiangularly spaced ribs.
 4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support post, transition piece and longitudinal element are of aluminium.
 5. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 further including hemipherical shaped resilient elements mounted on the top of each of said support posts for supporting a surfacing member. 